As the chimes signaling the arrival of night rang, the players looked at Gu Jiu with hesitation.
Gu Jiu tilted her head, glancing lazily toward the staircase leading down to the first floor. Her expression was tinged with a bored indolence, and her posture slumped toward Lu Ji in a relaxed sprawl. She seemed to melt into the most comfortable position possible, leaning closer toward Lu Ji.
In contrast, Lu Ji’s posture was perfectly upright, her back straight as a board. Were it not for the pallor and sickly look on her face, one might think she was a lively young woman of excellent upbringing. Her sitting position suggested a hint of elegance, exuding an aura of mystery.
Seeing Gu Jiu leaning most of her weight onto the frail girl beside her, the other players weren’t sure whether to remind her of Lu Ji’s delicate health… However, despite her sickly appearance, Lu Ji didn’t seem to be physically weak.
In fact, it was Gu Jiu who looked quite pampered, making it hard for anyone to blame her.
“Miss Gu, are you really ready for this?” Ying Tong asked.
Gu Jiu’s eyes remained fixed on the stairs. Without turning her head, she replied, “Yes, I don’t like to avoid things. Let’s face it head-on.”
The way she said it made it sound like: Don’t be a coward, just do it!
The players couldn’t help but wince. They wanted to say that this wasn’t about courage; it was about making smart choices—avoiding the game’s boss to take a safer path to clear the level.
Sensing their thoughts, Gu Jiu finally turned to look at them, smiling. “If you feel uncertain, you’re free to go back to your rooms. Don’t worry about me.”
She had her own way of clearing the level but wasn’t forcing anyone to make the same choice.
Hearing this, many faces displayed a hint of hesitation.
Should they hide in their rooms to survive the final night, or face the game’s boss with her?
Now they were faced with two choices. In the typical player mindset, it would seem safer to stay in their rooms until morning. But staying in a room wasn’t guaranteed safety, and there was still a risk of not surviving the night and dying in the game.
Either way, it felt like a safer bet than facing the boss head-on, right?
Fatty grabbed his brother’s shoulder, saying, “We’re not going back to our room. We’ll stick with you!”
Skinny remained silent, clearly supporting his brother’s decision. The two brothers remembered the final night in the “Cursed Village” instance, when, as other players wavered on whether to act, Wu Yang and Gu Jiu had already decided to push forward. Although risky, they had successfully cleared that instance.
They trusted Gu Jiu—she wouldn’t recklessly gamble with her own life.
Rather than hiding in a room with uncertain odds of surviving the night, they preferred to follow her. They had a lot of confidence in her.
Seeing the brothers make the resolute decision to follow Gu Jiu, the other players began to waver.
They weren’t keen on taking risks, but what if Gu Jiu had some hidden trump card? Maybe taking a risk would be safer than hiding in a room.
At that moment, they heard Ying Tong say, “I’m joining you all.”
The other players looked at her in surprise, not expecting Ying Tong to make such a decision. They thought she was the cautious type, someone who’d choose the safest route to clear the game, not someone as daring and bold as Gu Jiu.
Faced with everyone’s gaze, Ying Tong smiled and said, “I trust Miss Gu. Besides, after Miss Gu laid out the truth of the game so clearly today, the only thing left is whether we dare to face it. We’re nearly about to rank up to a C-level game field, and I’ve never tried counter-killing a boss before. I’d like to experience it once.”
The last part was said in a teasing tone, her lighthearted attitude showing that she was ready. Whether they succeeded or not in the end, it would be her own choice.
Seeing even Ying Tong decide to take this daring step with the young lady, the other players soon made up their minds to join as well.
After all, in this dangerous game world, sometimes sticking together is much safer than acting alone. The only reason players rarely work together is due to a lack of trust.
If they truly encountered a life-threatening situation, being together would make it less frightening, even in death.
Seeing the experienced players decide to stay and join in, the newcomers naturally chose to follow suit.
This was their first game, and they didn’t know much; following the experienced players seemed the safest option. They were fortunate—the regular players in this game field weren’t using them as cannon fodder but were actually trying to protect them.
For the newcomers, this first game was a trial by fire in the Multiverse games. Passing it successfully would mean becoming regular players.
Usually, the way players tackle their first game sets the tone for how they’ll approach future games in this world.
Seeing everyone’s decision to stay, Gu Jiu gave a slight smile, as if she wasn’t too surprised.
The group of players sat around the dining table in the living room, waiting for time to pass.
Because of the tension, no one spoke, and a quiet unease blanketed the ominous darkness around them. Some players even stared along with Gu Jiu toward the stairs leading down to the first floor.
As they watched, a sense of unease crept over them.
Someone glanced toward the seats around them, only to realize that the table, which had been filled with thirteen people just moments ago, was now empty. They were sitting there alone.
At the same time, a deeper darkness crept in, silent and consuming, plunging the entire world into an eerie, subtle state.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Clear footsteps sounded from the direction of the stairs.
The players turned their stiff necks to look toward the staircase, which was engulfed in darkness, revealing nothing.
The light in the living room cast a cold, ghostly white glow. Though not excessively bright, it hadn’t gone out due to any anomaly, yet it only managed to illuminate the area just before the staircase and went no further.
It was as if someone were walking up from the first floor, each step growing closer, the sound echoing in their ears.
The players sat there, frozen in place, cold sweat beading on their foreheads. Even in the cool night air, they found themselves drenched in sweat.
During the day, they had heard from the chubby player about the ghost lingering on the staircase. Now, as this ghostly domain separated each of the players, the mounting fear pressed down on them like a shadow, threatening to break them.
But they lacked the courage to investigate the stairwell.
Most players reacted the same way—they couldn’t see one another’s presence, making them feel even more fearful.
Some, like Ying Tong, summoned their courage and stepped forward. But upon reaching the stairwell, the darkness was too dense for her to discern anything. Then, suddenly, an icy hand grasped her ankle. The chill seeped through the fabric of her clothing and into her skin, sending a shiver down her spine and leaving her leg paralyzed with fear.
Not only did her foot become immobilized, but her whole body followed suit, and even her fingers gradually lost their ability to move.
Ying Tong stood rigidly, her eyes frantically darting around in panic.
The ghost in the stairwell was evidently much stronger than the others. Without even appearing, it had already rendered her helpless.
Just as Ying Tong anxiously searched for a way to escape, a crisp snapping sound suddenly broke the silence.
With a loud snap, the spell was lifted—not only freeing her from the ghost’s control, restoring her movement, but also dispelling the oppressive darkness that had cloaked the world.
The players who had vanished moments before were now visible again.
Ying Tong slowly turned to look at the other players seated at the dining table. They all wore expressions of terror, sweat streaming down their faces, with some appearing ready to flee at any moment. Fatty had even climbed onto the table, crouching like a frightened monkey.
With just one glance, Ying Tong noticed that two people were missing.
It was Gu Jiu and Lu Ji.
“Ah Jiu, is it alright now?” came a calm voice.
Ying Tong quickly turned her head and saw Lu Ji standing not far away. She was leaning against the wall, her back straight, silent as a ghost. If she hadn’t spoken, one might not have even noticed her presence.
Gu Jiu’s voice called up from the base of the stairs, “Yes, you can all come down now.”
Lu Ji took a few steps, then turned to the group still seated at the table.
“You can leave now. Aren’t you coming?”
Without waiting for a response, she walked past Ying Tong, who stood near the stairwell, and headed downward.
Realizing what was happening, Ying Tong quickly followed.
“Let’s go, let’s go! Let’s catch up!” Fatty excitedly jumped off the table. “Looks like Sister Jiu has already subdued the ghost in the stairwell—let’s go see!”
The other players snapped out of their daze and struggled to their feet.
Although their bodies felt weak after the fright, seeing everyone else go, no one dared stay behind alone. They hurried to follow.
The staircase in the house was narrow, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side, so players usually moved one by one.
Gu Jiu stood at the center of the staircase, with a flashlight tucked into her waistband, casting a beam at her feet. Beside her stood a figure.
The figure had long black hair cascading like a waterfall, delicate features, and wore a professional suit with the look of an urban career woman. Her appearance was strikingly beautiful; on any street, she would draw the attention of men. Yet her skin was deathly pale, her features stiff—any beauty dulled by the unmistakable aura of ghostly energy.
It was unmistakable—she was a ghost!
Lu Ji walked over without any change in expression, his eyes coldly fixed on the ghostly career woman. An even darker, almost imperceptible aura seemed to emanate from him, pressing down on the female ghost.
Standing beside Gu Jiu, the ghost woman inexplicably moved aside, giving way as the sickly-looking young girl took her place next to Gu Jiu.
The other players’ gazes fell on the ghost, and their hearts nearly stopped from fear.
This ghost looked intimidating and clearly not someone—or something—to be trifled with.
Fatty, trembling with excitement, asked, “Sister, was it you just now who…”
Before Fatty could finish his question, he realized it was redundant. With Gu Jiu standing here, who else could have possibly broken the ghost’s domain? Looking again at the ghost, who stood quietly without attacking the players, he gazed at Gu Jiu with pure admiration.
The other players shared his awe-stricken expression as they looked at Gu Jiu. Suddenly, the idea of facing the boss didn’t seem so terrifying.
Seeing that everyone was present, Gu Jiu said, “Alright, let’s head down.”
She led the way, with Lu Ji walking beside her, and the ghost trailing silently behind them. The other players, observing the ghost following them obediently, felt an overwhelming sense of respect for Gu Jiu.
This was someone truly formidable, a person who could even subdue a ghost. Playing the game alongside her filled them with a sense of security.
Previously, they had assumed she relied on items like the paper frog to deal with ghosts. But seeing the way this ghost reacted, it was evident her control had nothing to do with an item. How on earth did she do it?
Full of curiosity, the players followed her to the first floor.
As they reached the ground floor, the landlord’s unpleasant voice rang out, “You all actually came down! How convenient; I was just getting hungry, hehe…”
“Hehe my foot!” Gu Jiu retorted disdainfully. “Put those teeth and that drool away, or I’ll tear you apart.”
The players turned their gaze to the living room and, upon seeing the landlord’s appearance, understood why Gu Jiu spoke to him with such contempt. The landlord was on all fours, moving like an animal. His face resembled a skull, with his brow bone, cheekbones, and jaw protruding more than ever. His mouth was packed with jagged teeth, some of which jutted out grotesquely past his lips. He looked nothing short of a monster.
Yellowed saliva dripped from between his teeth, forming a small, viscous puddle on the floor.
With eyes filled with malice, the landlord fixed his gaze on Gu Jiu and charged at her with ferocity.
Before Gu Jiu could even react, the ghost floating behind her moved swiftly. She reached out, one hand clamping over the landlord’s mouth, while the other, delicate yet incredibly strong, began yanking his protruding teeth out with brutal force. “Ahhh—!”
The landlord let out a spine-chilling scream, thrashing his head frantically. But the ghost’s hand, gripping his jaw, was as unyielding as iron, leaving him helpless to resist.
This ghost was ruthless.
Watching the landlord’s teeth being pulled out one by one, the players felt a pang of sympathetic pain.
Amused by the spectacle, Gu Jiu observed with a smile. “See? I don’t even need to lift a finger; someone else is already teaching you a lesson. Seems like you really are a failure.”
The landlord was in too much agony to respond.
The ghost, methodical and unrelenting, continued to pull out each and every one of his teeth. These weren’t normal human teeth—they were the razor-sharp fangs of a beast.
With his fangs removed, the landlord was now like a toothless, rabid dog, unable to inflict harm on anyone.
Yet even in this state, Gu Jiu didn’t let him off. She retrieved a small ghost from the paper frog and instructed it, “This guy’s your enemy, right? Go on, take your revenge.”
The little ghost’s eyes glowed blood-red as it lunged onto the landlord’s back, sinking its own teeth into his flesh.
The landlord screamed in agony, crawling frantically on all fours, shaking his back in a desperate attempt to throw off the little ghost. But the ghost clung on firmly, far beyond his ability to dislodge.
Tears and snot streamed down the landlord’s face as he wailed for mercy, “Please… please let me go. I deserve this, I know…”
Gu Jiu propped her chin on her hand, smiling sweetly.
“Look at you now, groveling on the ground. Did I ask you to do that?”
“Yes, yes, it’s me groveling and begging. Please… spare me…” The landlord continued to sob, his position on all fours making him look very much like he was pleading on his knees.
Gu Jiu’s amusement grew as she watched the little ghost rip the landlord’s flesh, bite by bite.
The players watching were left speechless.
This was the first time they’d seen an NPC suffer so miserably. Normally, it was the NPCs tormenting the players; when had it ever been the other way around? The landlord had been so arrogant before, and now he was utterly broken.
Only when the landlord was lying weakly on the floor, barely alive, did Gu Jiu speak, “Since you chose to be an accomplice to a flesh-eating demon, you should have known there’d be retribution. Xiao Peng (Little friend), did he ever eat your flesh?”
The little ghost hopped off the landlord’s back and nodded silently.
Everyone in the room exchanged shocked glances between the landlord and the little ghost, their eyes eventually settling on the calm female ghost who had earlier pulled out the landlord’s teeth. The way she had ripped out his teeth… could it be that the landlord had eaten parts of these ghosts?
If so, it seemed fitting that he was now facing his punishment.
These ghosts had originally been trapped within certain domains, unable to leave. As long as the landlord avoided their territories, he was safe from their vengeance. But now, thanks to Gu Jiu bringing them all out, the landlord was finally getting what he deserved.